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Sarah Michelle Gellar, 48, loves a drugstore beauty buy - including this $12 'gentle' facial cleanser


Filming for the Buffy the Vampire relaunch has begun, and fans are obsessing over Sarah Michelle Gellar and her youthful looks


Sarah Michelle Gellar© Instagram

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Carla Challis
Carla ChallisCommerce Partnerships Editor
Updated: September 17, 2025
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I've had a girl crush on actress Sarah Michelle Gellar for years, and I think she looks as incredible today as she did in the 90s when she became everyone's favorite bad girl in the cult classic, Cruel Intentions. The 47-year-old actress, who famously played Buffy Summers on the hit 90s show Buffy The Vampire Slayer, has been slaying life out of the glare of Hollywood as a mom to two kids, wife to Freddie Prinze Jr, entrepreneur and all-round Insta-goal girl. 

  • Filming has begun on the highly anticipated Buffy The Vampire reboot.
  • Fans are obsessing over star Sarah Michelle Gellar's stunningly youthful skin.
  • The 48-year-old is a fan of the Cetaphil Hydrating Skin Cleanser, $12

Not only was she recently back on our screens as Tanya in the new Paramount drama Dexter: Original Sin, but the Buffy The Vampire relaunch has gotten everyone crushing on Sarah Michelle Gellar again and how amazing Sarah's skin is. Seriously, it's glowing, and I've delved into the internet archives to discover her secret - and as well as luxury skincare brands scattered across her dressing table, she has some gloriously affordable beauty buys in her arsenal too.

Sarah's stunning skin at the 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards© WireImage
Sarah's stunning skin at the 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards

The one that caught my attention was a product that Sarah credits for giving her "clean" skin while being gentle to her complexion - and it's the Cetaphil Hydrating Skin Cleanser.

"I love Cetaphil," she told Woman's Day. "I absolutely think Cetaphil is great. It really gets makeup off, really cleans the skin. It’s really gentle, if you have sensitive skin."

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

Cetaphil Cleanser

The cleanser is one I myself use on intermittently, and I rely it on for the times my skin is feeling particular aggravated or sensitive and is in need of something a little less harsh than chemical exfoliants or ingredient-heavy cleansers.

Like Sarah, I find it really cleans the skin to absolute perfection; it leaves it squeaky clean, but not stripped of natural oils, and helps to strengthen the skin's barrier. It's never left my skin tight or red-toned, and hydrates it while removing dirt and bacteria.

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr© Instagram
Sarah Michelle Gellar and her husband of 22 years Freddie Prinze Jr

It would seem the Scooby Doo actress is in good company with her love of this cleanser. Other celebrity fans including Jane The Virgin's Georgina Rodriguez, Olivia Wilde and Reese Witherspoon, who is said to always travel with a miniature size. It's good practice as your skin can become irritated by plane rides, changes in temperature and sun exposure.

Along with Cetaphil, Sarah cited Bio Oil as another of her beauty go-tos. "Bio-Oil is another great drugstore find, that’s great for nourishing the skin, if you have any scars from anything." 

This oil has become popularized as a stretch mark treatment, but I often use it as an overnight soak on my skin to heal any acne scars or blemishes. At $10, it's worth having a bottle in your beauty stash. It sinks beautifully into clean, cleansed skin and leaves skin feeling nourished and hydrated - it plumps lines, I find it seems to reduce redness and always gives my skin a velvety smooth finish. 

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